REPORT. 


The  undersigned  members  of  the  Joint  Committee,  appointed  to 
visit  the  College  Farm  and  examine  into  the  condition  of  affairs 
connected  with  the  Institution,  and  estimate  the  cost  of  a  suitable 
building,  have  performed  that  duty  and  respectfully  submit  the  fol¬ 
lowing  report  : 

We  visited  the  Farm  on  the  27th  of  January,  and  found  the 

LOCATION 

As  follows  :  On  a  direct  line  twenty-nine  miles  due  north  of 
the  City  of  Des  Moines,  in  Story  county  ;  nine  miles  west  of  Ne¬ 
vada,  the  county  seat  ;  and  on  the  direct  public  road  leading  from 
Nevada  to  Boonsboro.  The  Farm  lies  two  and  one-fourth  miles 
west  of  Skunk  Biver,  the  centre  of  the  Farm,  near  where  the  build¬ 
ings  are  erected,  being  a  little  more  than  three  miles  from  the  near¬ 
est  point  on  Skunk  Iiiver.  The  west  line  of  the  Farm  is  two  and 
one-half  miles  east  of  the  Boone  county  line.  The  Cedar  Bapids 
&  Missouri  Bailroad  is  now  being  built  directly  through  the  Farm, 
coming  into  it  on  the  east  side,  about  ninety  rods  north  of  the  south 
line,  and  running  diagonally  through  it,  bearing  north-west,  and 
leaving  it  on  the  north  line  within  about  thirty  rods  of  the  north¬ 
west  corner — dividing  the  Farm  so  as  to  leave  about  160  acres  on 
the  north  and  about  488  acres  on  the  south  side  of  the  Bailroad. 
The  Farm  is  well  supplied  with 

WATER  AND  TIMBER. 

Squaw  Creek,  a  fine  stream,  comes  into  the  Farm  on  the  north  ; 
meanders  through  near  the  east  line,  the  whole  length  affording  an 
inexhaustible  supply  of  pure  water  for  stock.  The  banks  of  the 
stream  are  low,  and  densely  covered  with  heavy  timber  on  both 
sides.  The  timber  is  principally  black  walnut,  oak,  elm,  white  ma¬ 
ple,  linn,  cottonwood,  ash,  hickory  and  numerous  other  valuable 


2 


varieties.  We  were  informed  by  the  Trustees  that  upon  a  careful 
examination  they  have  found  upwards  of  fifty  different  varieties  of 
timber,  bushes  and  shrubbery  growing  on  the  Farm,  and  from  the 
examination  we  were  able  to  make,  we  are  satisfied  that  their  esti¬ 
mate  is  not  too  high.  There  is  another  fine  stream  of  pure  water 
called  u  Clear  Creek,”  running  through  the  north-west  corner  ot 
the  Farm,  the  banks  of  which  are  high  and  broken  bluffs,  covered 
with  a  large  and  magnificent  growth  of  white  oak,  black  walnut, 
red  oak,  white  walnut  and  sugar  maple  timber.  From  the  best  in¬ 
formation  '  we  could  obtain  from  our  own  estimates  and  other  relia¬ 
ble  sources,  we  are  satisfied  that  there  is  on  the  College  Farm  not 
less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  valuable  heavy  timber, 
embracing  nearly  every  variety  growing  natural  in  the  State.  Near 
the  centre  of  the  Farm  and  about  twenty  rods  east  of  the  barn 
yard,  are  several  fine  springs,  affording  a  good  supply  of  stock 
water,  which  we  were  informed  by  old  settlers  in  the  vicinity, 
never  froze  over.  Near  the  south-west  corner  of  the  Farm  is  a  fin© 
pond  of  water,  which  affords  a  good  supply  ten  months  out  of  the 
twelve  in  the  dryest  seasons. 

After  a  careful  examination,  we  are  enabled  to  present  to  the 
General  Assembly  the  following 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  FARM. 

The  farm  contains  six  hundred  and  forty-eight  acres  lying  in  a 
body,  being  about  400  rods  long  from  east  to  west  and  about  259 
rods  wide  from  north  to  south.  After  deducting  the  one  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  timber  above  described,  there  remain  498  acres 
of  prairie  land  suitable  for  grass  and  grain.  There  is  probably  not 
far  from  180  acres  of  low  bottom  land,  about  one  hundred  of  which 
is  covered  with  timber ;  the  remainder  is  about  equally  divided 
between  wet  and  dry  bottom. 

The  low  land  in  the  timber  is  a  rich,  deep  black  sandy  loam,, 
with  clay  subsoil,  but  not  inclined  to  hold  water  on  the  surface.. 
Next  west  adjoining  the  timber  is  a  fine,  smooth,  level  tract  of  low 
land,  remarkably  well  adapted  for  grass,  but  could  by  a  judicious 
system  of  drainage  be  converted  into  the  most  productive  corn 
land,  not  excelled  in  the  West.  Beyond  this  to  the  north-west  is 
a  large  tract  known  in  this  State  as  second  bottomland,  being  level, 


3 


dry  and  very  rich  and  remarkably  productive  for  almost  every  crop 
grown  in  this  latitude.  The  soil  is  a  mixture  of  black  sand,  tine 
gravel  and  rich  black  alluvian  and  prairie  soil  proper ;  comprising 
perhaps  the  most  desirable  soil  known  to  the  agriculturalist..  A 
part  of  this  land  was^owed  with  wheat  last  season  and  produced, 
as  we  are  informed,  about  20  bushels  to  the  acre  of  first  quality ,  as 
we  ascertained  by  examination.  West  of  this  is  a  large  tract  of 
level  prairie,  the  soil  being  dry,  slightly  intermixed  with  tine  gravel 
in  places,  with  clay  subsoil,  being  a  fair  representative  of  the  pre¬ 
vailing  prairie  soil  in  the  State.  On  the  north-west  corner  of  the 
farm  is  a  tract  of  perhaps  40  acres  of  clay  soil,  most  of  which  is 
covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  oak,  walnut  and  hickory  timber. 
Though  called  clay  soil,  this  land  is  a  fair  specimen  of  what  is 
known  in  this  State  as  “ barrens”  and  “timber  land.”  The  soil  is 
a  mixture  of  prairie  and  clay,  with  heavy  clay  subsoil,  and  is  con¬ 
sidered  the  best  wheat  and  fruit  land  in  the  western  States.  On 
the  south  side  of  the  farm  is  about  90  acres  of  high  rolling  prairie, 
intermixed  with  gravel,  and  well  adapted  for  almost  any  grain  crop 
raised  in  the  West,  being  warm  and  dry,  the  ravines  which  inter¬ 
sect  it  carrying  off  all  surplus  water  in  the  wetest  seasons.  The 
gravel  contained  in  the  soil  is  mostly  on  the  surface,  and  is  turned 
under  by  the  first  plowing — nearly  disappearing  after  cultivation. 
We  found  fine  sand  and  gravel  banks  on  the  farm,  furnishing  an 
inexhaustible  supply  for  building  purposes  and  for  grading  roads, 
walks  and  yards. 

There  is  also  on  the  farm  good  clay  for  brick  making,  convenient 
to  where  the  College  will  probably  be  erected. 

THE  IMPROVEMENTS 

Consist  of  a  good,  substantial  brick  farm  house,  with  abasement 
of  stone,  making  a  cellar  under  the  whole  building.  The  house  is 
nearly  completed,  the  mortar  being  mixed  ready  for  plastering  the 
inside  walls  and  partitions,  in  the  Spring;  and  when  finished  will 
cost  about  three  thousand  dollars.  The  bricks  were  manufactured 
on  the  farm.  There  is  also  a  good  barn  on  the  place,  well  finished 
and  painted,  of  good  higlith  and  is  42  feet  by  60  in  size,  capable  of 
providing  storage  room  for  the  grain,  and  shelter  for  the  necessary 
teams  and  stock  connected  with  the  farm.  There  is  a  good  stone 


4 


basement  under  the  barn,  and  a  large  yard  inclosed  by  a  substain 
tial  fence. 

A  great  portion  of  tlie  material  and  work  used  in  the  erection  of 
these  buildings,  was  furnished  in  payment  of  voluntary  subscrip¬ 
tions,  by  citizens  in  the  vicinity.  - 

There  is  about  220  acres  of  the  farm  inclosed  by  a  substantial 
fence,  a  part  of  which  is  built  of  boards  and  posts,  five  boards  high, 
and  the  remainder  of  rails,  staked  and  ridered,  eight  rails  high. 
The  fences  are  built  of  good  material,  and  are  put  up  in  a  very  sub¬ 
stantial  manner.  Of  the  land  inclosed  about  148  acres  are  under 
cultivation,  and  had  crops  on,  the  past  season. 

There  is  a  fine  young  orchard  of  about  400  thrifty  trees,  near  the 
house,  inclosed  by  a  good  fence,  which  has  protected  it  from  dam¬ 
age  by  cattle ;  and  this  little  experiment  has  satisfied  the  people  in 
the  vicinity  that  the  prevalent  opinion  that  fruit  cannot  be  raised 
upon  our  open  prairies  is  entirely  erroneous.  They  witnessed  fine 
apples  growing  upon  many  of  these  trees  which  had  been  planted 
out  but  three  years  before,  on  the  level,  open  prairie.  They  see  that 
to  be  successful  only  requires  ordinary  care ;  such  as  they  would 
bestow  upon  a  corn  crop,  and  they  are  profiting  by  this  demonstra¬ 
tion  placed  before  their  eyes,  as  we  observed  that  nearly  every  far¬ 
mer  in  the  vicinity  has  began  to  plant  an  orchard.  These  trees  on 
the  farm  were  donated  to  the  Trustees  by  Mr.  Smith,  the  well 
known  nurseryman  of  Des  Moines. 

A  well  has  been  dug  near  the  house,  affording  a  good  supply  of 
pure  water,  at  a  depth  of  about  30  feet. 

About  75  grape  vines  have  been  planted  near  the  orchard,  of  sev¬ 
eral  different  varieties,  among  which  are  the  Concord,  Clinton,  Isa¬ 
bella  and  Catawba.  They  appeared  to  flourish  well,  making  a  fine 
growth  and  producing  some  fruit. 

BUILDING  MATERIAL 

for  the  erection  of  a  College  can  be  found  in  abundance  on  the 
farm  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  All  of  the  necessary  timber 
for  frame-work  can  be  taken  from  the  farm  without  injury  to  the 
place.  The  necessary  wood  to  burn  the  brick  can  be  procured 
from  down  timber  which  is  fast  going  to  waste,  and  the  best  kind 
of  clay  and  sand  for  the  manufacture  of  the  brick,  are  found  in 
abundance  on  the  farm.  Stone  for  the  basement  can  be  had  within 


three  and  one-half  miles,  and  lime  within  six  miles  of  the  place. 
Pine  lumber  and  shingles  can  be  obtained  by  means  of  the  railroad, 
which  is  being  now  built  directly  through  the  farm. 

There  are  several  saw-mills  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
timber  lands,  both  steam  and  water  mills,  capable  of  supplying  any 
reasonable  demand  for  lumber. 


THE  LANDS  DONATED  IN  STORY  COUNTY 


lie  on  an  average  within  two  miles  of  the  College  Farm,  and  with¬ 
in  one  and  one-half  miles  of  the  railroad.  They  consist  of  two  80- 
acre  tracts,  five  of  40  acres,  and  four  of  20  acres  each,  of  good 
prairie  land  ;  three  10-acre  lots  of  timber,  and  one  lot  of  32  acres 
of  timber;  making  440  acres  of  prairie  and  62  acres  of  timber. 
There  are  also  200  acres  of  land  in  Boone  county,  consisting  of  five 
lots,  varying  in  size  from  20  to  80  acres  each,  and  lying  on  an  ave¬ 
rage,  within  two  and  one-half  miles  of  the  line  of  railroad,  and 
within  about  seven  miles  of  the  farm.  The  lands  thus  donated  to 
the  college  amount  to  640  acres  of  prairie,  estimated  to  be  worth 
$4,00  per  acre,  making  $2,560.  The  timber  lands,  620  acres,  are 
estimated  to  be  "worth  $14,00  per  acre,  making  $868,00 — total, 
$3,428,00.  There  is  also  one  acre  of  land,  donated  to  the  farm, 
and  within  one  mile  of  it,  containing  a  good  stone  quarry,  besides 
about  20  lots  in  New  Philadelphia,  a  new  town  on  the  line  of  the 
railroad,  and  about  two  miles  from  the  farm,  which  "will  probably 
.be  the  nearest  railroad  station. 

Sections  9  and  10  of  the  organic  act  providing  for  the  purchase 
of  the  College  Farm,  require  that  the  trustees  shall  purchase  suit¬ 
able  lands,  not  less  than  640  acres,  for  the  use  of  the  College  and 
Experimental  Farm ;  and  that  they  shall  take  into  consideration 
the  price,  location,  quality  and  variety  of  soil,  advantages  of  water, 
timber,  stone,  &c. 

Your  committee,  after  a  thorough  examination,  are  of  the  opin¬ 
ion  that  it  would  have  been  difficult  for  the -trustees  to  have  made  a 
selection  more  fully  complying  with  the  requirements  of  the  law, 
than  the  one  purchased.  It  has  upon  it  at  least  six  different  varie¬ 
ties  of  soil,  representing  the  prevailing  kinds  in  the  State ;  it  has 
more  than  50  varieties  of  timber,  bushes  and  shrubs,  and  running 
water,  spring  and  well  water  in  abundance;  a  plenty  of  gravel, 
sand,  stone,  and  material  for  brick  ;  high  dry  land,  level  dry  land, 


6 


rolling  clay,  second  bottom,  sloughs,  flat  wet  bottom,  and  timber 
bottom,  besides  the  genuine  prairie  land. 

We  know  of  no  other  farm  of  the  size  in  tlie  State  combining 
so  many  leading  characteristics  of  Iowa  land,  and  though  we  went 
to  the  farm  with  some  feelings  of  prejudice  against  the  location, 
we  came  away  fully  impressed  with  the  belief  that  it  answers  the 
requirements  of  the  law,  as  completely  as  any  selection  that  could 
have  been  made.  We  are  satisfied  that  the  main  object  had  in 
view  by  the  framers  of  the  organic  law  was,  that  the  experimental 
farm  should  combine  as  many  leading  characteristics  of  the  lands 
of  our  State  as  possible  to  be  found  in  one  farm,  that  all  of  the 
different  varieties  might  be  thoroughly  tested,  with  the  various 
grains  and  grasses,  vegetables  and  fruits,  and  the  final  results  might 
add  to  the  experimental  knowledge  of  the  cultivators  of  the  soil. 
We  deem  it  our  duty  to  make  a  brief  review  of  the 

HISTORY  OF  THE  COLLEGE  AND  FARM, 

and  of  what  has  been  done  by  the  Legislature  and  Trustees  to  car¬ 
ry  into  effect  the  requirements  of  the  organic  law. 

At  the  session  of  the  Legislature  of  1858  an  act  was  passed, 
providing  for  the  establishment  of  a  State  Agricultural  College  and 
Farm,  with  a  Board  of  Trustees,  which  shall  be  connected  with  the 
entire  agricultural  interests  of  the  State. ’’ 

Section  2  of  the  act  provides  that  the  Cobege  and  Farm  shall  be 
under  the  management  of  a  Board  of  eleven  Trustees,  and  the  Gov¬ 
ernor  and  President  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society  shall  be  ex- 
officio  members.  It  also  provides  that  one  trustee  shall  be  chosen 
from  each  judicial  district  in  the  State  from  persons  nominated  by 
the  county  agricultural  societies,  thus  securing  men  for  this  high 
position  who  are  identified  with  the  great  interest  they  are  to  rep¬ 
resent,  and  wisely  guarding  against  the  danger  of  allowing  this 
important  institution,  intended  for  the  benefit  of  the  industrial  in¬ 
terests  of  the  State,  from  being  diverted  from  its  noble  purpose  to 
build  up  some  favored  city  or  village,  and  convert  what  was  de¬ 
signed  for  the  benefit  of  the  great  agricultural  and  mechanical  in¬ 
terests  of  the  entire  State,  into  a  mere  local  school  for  the  benefit 
of  only  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  live  in  the  immediate 

vicinity. 

«/ 

The  trustees,  wisely  foreseeing  that  an  institution  of  this  kind  to 


be  successful  in  carrying  out  fully  the  intention  of  the  Legislature 
must  be  located  in  the  country,  away  from  the  attractions,  vices 
and  contaminations  of  a  city,  purchased  what  is  known  as  the  “Col¬ 
lege  Farm,”  in  Story  county,  a  central  position,  which  will  soon  be 
accessable  from  all  parts  of  the  State.  The  farm,  which  we  have 
fully  described  in  another  part  of  this  report,  was  purchased  at  a 
cost  of  $5,379  12.  In  consideration  of  having  the  college  located 
at  that  place,  the  citizens  of  Story  and  Boone  counties  made  liberal 
donations  of  lands  and  money,  labor  and  material,  to  the  amount 
of  about  $7,000,  to  assist  in  improving  the  farm  and  erecting  the 
necessary  farm  buildings. 

The  county  of  Story  issued  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $10,000,  for 
the  benefit  of  the  college,  bearing  interest  at  7  per  cent.  There  is 
also  appropriated  the  proceeds  of  the  sales  of  five  sections  of  land 
(heretofore  granted  to  the  State  for  the  erection  of  capital  buildings 
in  Jasper  county;  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  college.  Congress 
has,  by  an  act  since  passed,  diverted  this  grant  of  lands  to  the  col¬ 
lege,  and  a  portion  of  them  have  been  sold  by  the  trustees.  The 
estimated  value  of  these  lands  is  about  $14,000. 

Soon  after  the  passage  of  the  organic  law  providing  for  an  Agri¬ 
cultural  College  the  great  financial  crash  came,  suspending  almost 
all  improvements,  ruining  thousands  of  the  business  men  in  the 
country,  and  reducing  the  State  revenue  so  much  as  to  render  it 
necessary  to  make  a  large  loan  for  the  purpose  of  meeting  the  ordi¬ 
nary  expenses  of  the  State  government.  In  view  of  this  state  of 
affairs,  while  other  public  institutions  of  the  State  were  demanding 
and  receiving  large  appropriations,  the  friends  of  the  college  waited 
patiently  for  better  times,  before  calling  upon  the  State  for  the  nec¬ 
essary  means  for  the  erection  of  a  college  building.  Before  the 
country  had  fully  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  financial  diffi¬ 
culties  the  great  rebellion  broke  out,  engrossing  the  entire  atten¬ 
tion  of  the  loyal  States,  and  requiring  heavy  and  extraordinary  ap¬ 
propriations  from  our  State  to  place  our  quota  of  volunteers  in  the 
field. 

During  all  this  time  the  friends  of  the  Agricultural  College  had 
not  been  idle.  Knowing  that  in  'order  to  carry  out  faithfully  the 
purpose  in  view,  of  providing  an  institution  in  which  the  sons  of 
the  working  men  could  acquire  a  thorongh  practiced  education 
suited  to  the  profession  they  were  to  follow  through  life,  at  so  small 


8 


an  expense  that  the  poorest  would  not  be  excluded  for  want  of 
means,  the  friends  of  the  college  acting  with  others  in  different 
States,  made  earnest,  and  finally  successful  efforts,  to  influence  Con¬ 
gress  to  make  a  grant  of  lands  for  the  future  endowment  of  these 
institutions.  The  lands  thus  granted  to  our  State  amounted  to 
240,000  acres ;  nearly  all  of  which  have  been  selected  in  the  north¬ 
western  part  of  the  State.  This  grant  was  made  upon  the  express 
condition  that  the  States  accepting  it  should  within  five  years  from 
the  approval  of  the  act,  “provide  at  least  one  college,  where  the 
leading  object  shall  be,  (without  excluding  other  scientific  and  clas¬ 
sical  studies,  and  including  military  tactics,)  to  teach  such  branches 
of  learning  as  are  related'  to  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts” 

Section  second  of  the  act  of  Congress  expressly  provides  that  no 
portion  of  the  fund  arising  from  the  sale  of  these  lands,  or  the 
interest  thereon,  shall  be  applied  directly  or  indirectly  to  the  pur¬ 
chase,  erection  or  repair  of  any  building  or  buildings.  Thus  it  will 
be  observed  that  the  entire  fund  shall  be  invested  and  used  for  no 
other  purpose  than  for  the  future  endowment  of  the  college,  except¬ 
ing  that  ten  per  cent,  of  the  proceeds  may  be  expended  in  procuring 
a  suitable  farm  to  carry  on  the  manual  labor  department. 

This  land  is  mostly  prairie,  destitute  of  timber,  far  from  market, 
and  could  only  be  sold  at  the  present  time  at  a  very  low  price  and 
at  a  great  sacrifice.  Good  policy  and  the  future  interests  of  the 
college  require  that  no  more  of  the  land  should  be  now  offered  for 
sale,  than  is  absolutely  required  to  meet  the  necessary  expenses  of 
the  institution,  which  can  not  be  otherwise  provided  for. 

It  now  reitiains  for  the  State  to  decide  by  the  action  of  the 
present  Legislature  whether  we  shall  carry  out,  in  good  faith  to  the 
citizens  of  our  own  State,  and  the  general  government  that  made 
this  most  munificent  grant,  the  noble  and  worthy  purpose  contem¬ 
plated  by  the  law. 

If  with  a  full  sense  of  the  great  obligation  resting  upon  them, 
and  a  realization  of  the  important  trust  committed  to  their  care,  this 
Legislature  shall,  honestly  and  faithfully  perform  their  duty,  they 
will  be  entitled  to  the  lasting  gratitude  of  the  sons  of  the  working¬ 
men  of  the  State  for  all  time  to  come. 

Your  Committee  have  found  it  very  difficult  to  arrive  at  any 
definite  conclusion  in  regard  to  the  cost  of  a  suitable  buildino;  for 
a  college.  We  find  that  an  estimate  has  been  made  by  an  experi- 


9 


oiicod  Architect  employed  by  the  Trustees.  The  plan  proposed  is 
to  erect  a  building  that  will  accommodate  one  hundred  students,  the 
President  and  professors,  with  lecture  an  :1  recitation  rooms,  labora¬ 
tory,  kitchen,  dining  and  all  other  rooms  necessary  for  a  college 
and  house  for  all  connected  with  the  institution.  The  building  to 
be  three  stories  high,  and  42  feet  by  150  feet;  the  basement  to  be 
built  of  stone,  and  the  superstructure  of  brick.  The  estimated  cost 
of  such  a  building,  fully  completed  ready  for  occupation,  is  $50,- 
000. 

The  Trustees  estimate  that  they  have  in  money,  lands  donated, 
and  bonds,  an  amount  sufficient  to  furnish  the  college,  provide  the 
necessary  apparatus,  stock  the  farm  with  improved  breeds  of  animals, 
the  out-buildings,  farming  utensils,  machinery,  &c.,  suitable  to  make 
a  satisfactory  commencement. 

It  is  thought  that  $30,000  would  erect  the  out  walls  of  the  build¬ 
ing  and  inclose  it,  and  if  the  Legislature  should  not  think  best  to 
provide  a  sufficient  appropriation,  at  this  session  for  its  completion, 
the  above  mentioned  amount  could  be  used  to  advantage,  in  carry¬ 
ing  on  the  work  ;  and  the  friends  of  the  institution  believe  the  next 
Legislature  would  furnish  the  sum  necessary  to  complete  and  put 
the  college  in  operation  within  the  time  required  by  the  Act  of 
Congress  making  the  grant. 

The  proposition  has  been  made  by  the  friends  of  the  State  Uni¬ 
versity,  to  take  charge  of  the  Agricultural  College,  and  attach  a 

%J  '  CT>  O  O' 

department  to  the  University,  in  which  shall  be  taught  such 
branches  as  relate  to  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts,  provided  a 
large  portion  of  the  land  grant  be  diverted  to  the  use  and  benefit 
of  the  University.  We  regard  this  proposition  as  so  manifestly 
unjust  and  dangerous,  that  wre  feel  it  our  duty  to  refer  to  some  of 
the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  such  an  attempted  union  of  the  two 
institutions.  The  University  is  intended  to  be  a  higher  grade 
school  than  any  other  in  the  State,  in  which  students  from  the 
various  seminaries,  academies,  and  colleges  may  enter,  and  com- 
plete  an  education  in  the  highest  branches  taught,  affording  facili¬ 
ties  and  advantages  that  no  other  educational  institution  in  the 
State  possesses.  The  object  is  a  noble  one,  worthy  of  our  great 
State,  and  we  trust  that  the  purpose  will  be  fully  carried  out,  with¬ 
out  endangering  its  success  by  uanv  entangling  alliances.”  The 

State  and  General  Government  have  dealt  most  liberally  with  it, 
2 


10 


affording  it  support  and  aid,  in  lands,  buildings  and  money,  to  the 
amount  of  more  than  $330,000. 

The  Agricultural  College  was  projected  for  a  very  different  pur¬ 
pose,  and  is  intended  to  be  conducted  on  an  entirely  different  plan. 
The  want  of  a  high  school  or  college  for  the  sons  of  working 
men,  where  they  could,  at  a  trifling  expense,  acquire  a  thorough 
practical  education,  adapted  to  the  industrial  pursuits  they  desire 
to  follow  through  life,  has  been  long  felt  and  earnestly  desired.  It 
is  evident  to  every  one  who  has  examined  the  subject  that  this  in¬ 
stitution,  to  be  successful,  must  be  entirely  independent  of  ordinary 
colleges  and  universities  where  theories  are  taught,  without  practi¬ 
cal  illustrations.  The  organic  act  provides  that  all  students  admit¬ 
ted  into  the  college  “shall  labor  not  less  than  two  hours  per  day  in 
winter  and  three  hours  in  the  summer  season.'’  The  object  of  this 
provision  is,  no  doubt,  to  place  all  students  on  a  perfect  equality 
as  far  as  manual  labor  is  concerned,  that  there  may  be  no  distinc¬ 
tion  between  the  sons  of  rich  or  poor — that  the  student  who  may 
be  compelled  to  labor  to  pay  his  way  may  not  feel  that  he  is  sub¬ 
mitting  to  a  work  of  drudgery,  but  is  only  complying  with  the 
rides  of  the  college,  wisely  provided  for  the  benefit  of  all,  in  giving 
them  the  advantage  of  every  day  practice  to  test  the  truth  or  error 
of  the  new  theories  they  are  learning.  Does  any  reflecting  person 
believe  that  these  most  important  provisions  of  the  system  of  agri¬ 
cultural  education  can  be  connected  with  the  State  Universitv,  lo- 
cated  in  the  heart  of  a  populous  city,  where  no  experimental  farm 
can  be  connected  with  it,  with  no  suitable  boarding  house  where 
young  boys  can  be  under  the  care  and  control  of  a  suitable  person 
who  would  look  to  their  welfare?  They  would  be  turned  loose  af¬ 
ter  school  hours,  to  all  of  the  enticements,  vices  and  corrupting  in¬ 
fluences  of  a  city.  They  must  And  boarding  places  among  the  inhab¬ 
itants  of  the  town,  where  their  labor  cannot  be  employed  to  defray 
expenses ;  a  department  thus  conducted  can  derive  none  of  the 
benefits  contemplated  by  the  friends  of  the  Agricultural  College, 
in  providing  an  industrial  school  in  accordance  with  the  act  of  our 
own  Legislature,  and  the  law  of  Congress  making  the  munificent 
land  grant,  to  enable  the  plans  of  the  college  to  be  faithfully  and 
honestly  carried  out. 

We  are  satisfied  that  any  such  attempt  at  consolidation  would  re¬ 
sult  in  endless  strife,  quarrels,  jealousy  and  confusion,  and  would 


11 


go  far  towards  destroying  the  usefulness  of  both.  We  believe  it  to 
be  the  dutv  of  the  Legislature  to  encourage  and  sustain  both  of 
these  valuable  institutions  by  judicious  and  liberal  assistance,  while 
both  are  left  free  to  stand  or  fall  on  their  own  merits. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

[Signed]  *  B.  F.  GTJE, 

JOHN  RUSSELL, 
CHARLES  PAULK. 


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